Tube flanging apparatus having spiral cam actuated flanging rollers



June 24, 1958 H. J. BELLARTS 2,840,136

TUBE FLANGING APPARATUS HAVING SPIRAL CAM ACTUATED FLANGING ROLLERS 1 Filed July 27, 1956 5 SheetsSheet 2 HIP;

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i L\ mm June 24, 1958 H. J. BELLARTS 2,840,136

TUBE FLANGING APPARATUS HAVIN PIRAL CAM ACTUATED FLANGING ROLL Filed July 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. g JEelZarZs 2,840,136. Patented June24, 1958 FLANGING APPARATUS HAVING SPIRAL CAM ACTUATED FLANGING ROLLERS Henry J. Bellarts, Richland, Wash, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Application July 27, 1956, Serial 600,640

1 Claim. (Cl. 1 53--81) This invention relates to a metal-shaping apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus for forming flanges on theends of tubes.

When a flange is formed on a tube end by flaring the same, it is important to form the flange in such a way that it will be free of irregularities and imperfections.

With the apparatus of the present invention the parts of the apparatus that engage the tube end while flaring it are moved and controlled in such a way as not to give the flange being formed grooves, dents, or other irregularities.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view, partly in section, of the apparatus of the present invention at the start of a tubeflanging operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, generally similar to Fig. 1, with the flanging operation in progress;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, generally similar to Figs. 1 and 2 with the flanging operation completed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 and showing the apparatus and a tube with a flange completely formed thereon;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 4, a tube 10 has at one end a flange 11, which has been formed by the apparatus of the present invention. This apparatus comprises essentially a plurality of conical rollers 12, a plurality of gear segments 13, a rotatable carrier 14, and a worm gear in the form of a flat spiral.

As shown in Fig. 5, the rollers 12 are three in number and are equally spaced angularly about a shaft 16 to which the carrier 14 is rotatably connected by a key 16a and which provides an axis about which the carrier 14 may rotate. Each gear segment 13 rotatably mounts a conical roller 12 and is in turn mounted for rotation about its own axis in the carrier 14. Angular movement of each set of rollers 12 and gear segment 13 about the axis of the gear segment is produced by rotation of the worm gear 15 which meshes with each gear segment 13.

As shown in Fig. 4, the worm gear 15 is formed on an annular portion 17 of a ring 18 which is rotatably held against the carrier 14 by a retainer 19 engaging a central opening in the ring 18 and by segments 20 which have interlocking dovetailed engagement with outer portions of the ring 18. The retainer 19 and segments 20 are attached by screws to the carrier 14.

As shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, the shaft 16 is provided with three arcuate axial grooves 20a, which are equally spaced about the shaft 16 and accommodate the gear segments 13 in the position of Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the carrier 14 comprises three radially directed portions 20b which are equally spaced about the shaft 16.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 16 and the carrier .14 are centered with respect to the tube 10 by a mandrel 21 in which the shaft 16 has a sliding fit and which is expanded into the tube 10 so as to be held against axial movement with respect thereto. The mandrel 21 may actually be formed of wedge segments that are adjusted with respect to one another for expansion of the mandrel. Collars 22 and 23, which are pinned to the shaft 16 beyond the ends of the mandrel 21, limit axial movement of the shaft with respect to the mandrel. -A sleeve 24 is secured as by shrinking to the exterior of the tube 10 and carries at one end a threaded section 25 to which a plate 26 is adjustably secured. Bolts 27 are anchored at one end to the plate 26 and receive at the other end nuts 28 which retain a crossbar 29 which acts through a pressure ring 30, the retainer 19, ring 18, carrier 14, and gear segments 13 to hold the rollers 12 firmly against the end of the tube 10.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7, the gear segments 13 are retained in the carrier 14 by arcuate pieces 31 secured to opposie sides of the gear segments and by arcuate grooves 32 formed in the carrier 14 to receive the arcuate pieces 31. Thus the arcuate pieces 31 and arcuate grooves 32 permit the gear segments 13 to have only angular movements about their own axes with respect to the carrier 14. Thus, as the gear segments 13 move from the position of Fig. 1 to those of Figs. 2 and 3, they stay in mesh with the worm gear 15. As the gear segments 13 move as just mentioned, they carry along the rollers 12 which flare the tube 10 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a shoulder 33 on each roller engaging the end surface of the tube 10.

Movement of the gear segments 13 as described is produced by rotation of the worm gear 15 with respect to the gear segments 13, which rotation is produced by relative rotation between the ring 18 and the carrier 14. Such relative rotation can be carried out either by rotating the ring 18 and fixing the carrier 14 or by fixing the ring 18 and rotating the carrier 14. The latter procedure is preferable, because, as the rollers 12 are moved outwards to flare the tube 10, they also move about the tube and thus do not form the grooves in the flared tube end that can be formed if the rollers do not move around the tube. The ring 18 has a knurled surface 34 by which the ring may be held against rotation. The shaft 16 has a noncircular end portion 35 that maybe engaged by a suitable tool for rotation of the shaft 16 and the carrier 14. V

In actual operation, the ring 18 will be fixed while the carrier 14 is rotated to move the rollers 12 out against the tube 10 a suitable amount; next both ring 18 and carrier 14 will be rotated together to cause the rollers 12 to work the tube end without expansion; next the ring 18 will again be fixed while the carrier 14 is rotated again to move the rollers 12 out against the tube; next both ring 18 and carrier 14 will be rotated together. This procedure will be carried out until the flange 11 is formed as shown in Figs. 4 and 7 to extend at the desired angle, for example, at right angles to the axis of the tube 10.

The tube 10 may be formed of any suitable metal such as 25 aluminum.

The rollers 12 are held from moving away from the tube end as the flange 11 is being formed either by the mandrel 21 or by the sleeve 24, each of which is fixed against axial movement with respect to the tube 10. Accordingly, either the sleeve 24 or the mandrel 21 may be used alone. When the sleeve 24 is used, the mandrel 21 may be constructed so as merely to center the shaft 16, carrier 14, and rollers 12 with respect to the tube 10 and to the tube. The manner in which the sleeve 24 holds the rollers 12 against the tube end has already been described; When the mandrel 21 holds the rollers 12 against the tube end, force is transmitted to the rollers 12 from the mandrel 21 through the collar 23, shaft 16, key ma jretainer 1 9,"earrier 1 4', aridgear segments 1-3".

Itis"alsounderstood that the invention is not to be lirnited by titetdetails given herein but that it may be modified within the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is: g 7

Apparatus for forming a flange on the end of a tube, said apparatus comprising a rotatable carrier, a plurality of flanging rollers positioned in angularly spaced relation shipto one another about the axis of the carrier, gear segments individually supporting the rollers and being mounted in the carrier for movement about their own axes, and aworm gear in the form of a flat spiral rotatably mounted in the carrier in engagement with the gear segments and adapted when held stationary to cause rotation of the gear segments about their individual axes while said gear segments are rotated along with the carrier about the axis of the carrier, thereby varying the tilt of the axes of therollers with respect to that of the carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

